Damien from B-Better
Here is an excerpt from a newspaper article on Damien from B-Better:
“We have rhythms all over our body, they’re working all day, whether we know it or not: our heartbeat, our walking, our breath, it is all working in a steady rhythm at all times,” says T Damien Anyasi, founder of B-Better dance group.
So when someone turns up to one of his workshops or open events infused with the conviction that they emerged from the womb with a pair of left feet, he quickly settles them into the knowledge that they naturally have both the ability and capacity to stick to a rhythm and own a beat.
“Teaching people how to dance is about helping people to understand what they can do with their body,” says Damien, who’s been showing people the ins and outs of street-style dancing for almost fifteen years.
Damien, who grew-up in Woolwich, taught his first class in Balham, back in 2004. From here he discovered his thirst to show people, the skills and techniques behind various street dancing forms. He also taught them the history behind each style; educating them on its roots and inceptions.
The turning point
It was at the tender age of 13, at a week-long summer programme in Portsmouth when Damien roots his desire to teach dance. “There’s a video of everyone in the programme dancing to Bobby Brown. When I come on screen, I did a very awkward little dance and a weird forward roll. Then I caught the hype but had nothing else to back it up with, you can see other kids looking at the camera like “what’s this dude doing?”
That instance and that video really resonated in later life. I know what it’s like to be the worst dancer in the room. I know what it feels like to be moved by music but not have the tools to let it out,” says Damien. “So when people come to our classes nervous, tense and not moving with the rhythm, I know where they’re at with that feeling. It is all about helping that person to get what they want.”
B-Better has always sought to bridge the gap between the underground street dance scene – from which Damien learnt his craft – and the general public. “We teach a lot of people in many places,” he says, referring to the 15 classes run across the capital.
Damien guesses that he’s personally taught 50,000 people how to dance; considering the number of small and large festivals and street classes he’s given all over the world, that seems like no underestimate. B-Better have held workshops in destinations spanning NW5 to Baku. That’s the capital of Azerbaijan, which, for those wondering, holds a remarkable instant resemblance to…”
The rest of Damien from B-Better’s story can be found here!
Personal note
If you’ve read the full article, you know more about me than most of my friends and family, ha. It’s my hope that sharing this info will strengthen someone else’s will to dance. We’ve made B-Better to support all artists from beginner (private lessons) to comfortable (open class) to exceptional (Manifest Nation). We created Ante Up! so that our students, peers from the scene, teachers and the public could vibe in one room. We made online tutorials so that folks worldwide could enjoy what we do. The ‘HipHop Lives‘ tshirts are a uniform of unity, designed to draw us together.
These are just some of the ways I’ve thought up to have B-Better touch more people in more places. If you’re enjoying the work, here’s how you can help spread our goodness:
Talk with us on social media
Leave a review if you’ve enjoyed an experience
Tell a friend to look us up
Attend our events occasionally
Thanks for reading and now go catch up with the rest of our teachers.
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